Dolphins driving? - The latest Citroën advert

The latest in a long line of memorable Citroën adverts breaks cover next week with the unusual sight of dolphins driving. To the soundtrack of Beyond the Sea (La Mer)*, the marine animals are seen playfully ‘driving’ Citroën’s C3 supermini underwater to emphasise the message that the C3 is designed for happiness. The 30 second long commercial will be aired on Monday 14th May for the first time.

Using CGI (Computer Generated Imagery) technology, the cars mimic dolphin-like behaviour as they ride waves, leap through the air, splash around and dart underwater.

Producers created the sequences at the famous Pinewood Studios Underwater Stage using one-third size models of the C3. A catapult helped recreate the effect of dolphins leaping and diving in and out of the sea, with live action sequences shot in South Africa on the Atlantic and Indian Oceans. It took more than 2 months to complete.

The new Citroën advert follows on from the hugely successful dancing and ice-skating, C4 robot, and the return of The Fonz to the small screen last year to promote the C3.

Justin Hooper, Creative Director of Citroën’s advertising agency, Euro RSCG, explains the background to the latest advert: “With its curvy design, the Citroën C3 has a friendly, happy personality, and we have tried to express this idea of fun by using dolphins, known for their playfulness.”